Container



B. M. WILLIAMS Erm. 2,355,578

CONTAINER Filed April 5, 1943 2 .Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug 8 19.44 B. M. WILLIAMS :a1-AL 2,355,578

CONTAINER Filfd April 5, 1946 2 Sheets-Shet 2 THE/A 417'@ Mex Patented Aug. 8, 1944 Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE o CQNTAIER Beniaminnr williams, st. Louis, Mo., and Free blushing, Tampa, Fla., assignors to Gaylord Container Corporation, poration of Maryland LAnimationlim-u5,1943,'serml1so.481,833 l 12 claims.. 11.229-45) This invention relates to containers, particularly fruit and vegetable shipping cartons of the kind having a body with a slip cover and hand holes to facilitate handling. The principal objects of the present invention are to provide for quickly and easily locking the cover to the -body without the use of separate locking means; to provide for readily unlocking the cover to permitI inspection of the fruit; to provide for holding the body of the carton in erected position without the use of staples or adhesives; to protect the .fruit from injury whenthe fingers are inserted in the hand holes in handling the carton and in locking and unlocking the cover; tn provide forA Fig. 1 is an end view of a carton embodying .my invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of said carton.

Fig.3 is a perspective view of the slip cover oi the carton, Y

Fig. 4 isv a perspective view of the body of the carton, l

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, showing the body of the carton in the process of erection,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical cross-section through one end of the body of the carton on the line 6- 3 in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical cross-section through one end of the carton on the line 1-1 in F1a-1.

In the accompanying drawings, our invention is shown embodied in a fruit or vegetable shipping carton comprising a body A and a slip cover B therefor, both made of corrugated board, berlboard or other bendable material. 'I'he body A preferably comprises a bottom wall or panel I, having outwardlytapering end ilaps 2 that termi'- nate in locking tongues or tabs 3 and sidewalls or panels I with end ilaps l and Ba, respectively that are overlapped to form two-ply end walls. The outermost end naps I have hand holes t therein that register with similar hand-holes 8a in the innermost end ilaps la; and the hand holes 6a have depending llaps tbv along vtheir uppe'r St. Louis, Mo., a cor- 6 and Ba with registering horizontal slots 1 and 1a, respectively, of a length corresponding substantially to the width ot the locking tabs 3 oi' the end ilaps 2 'of the bottmn i of the body A. As

side walls 4 upwardly into vertical-position and by folding .the end ilaps 5 over the endilaps 5u- The overlappedend ilaps 5 and 5a are then secured together by bending the end flaps 2 upwardly'alongside the outermost end ilaps 5 and then pushing the locking tabs 3 at the ends of the end ii'aps 2 through the registering hand holes Band 6a. The iocking tabs 2 arethen bent downwardly inside of the body A alongside of the innermost end iiapsl ia, after which the end por- 4' tions of said locking tabs are pushed through the slots 1a in innermost end flaps intothe lower portions of the slots 1in' the outermost end aps 5. During this operation of'inserting the locking tabs` l in the slots 1 and 1a of the overlapped end flaps 5 and 5a,` respectively, the ends of said tabs strike against the portions of theend naps 2A that cover said slts and are deflected or guided downwardly by the end flaps 2 into upwardly opening retaining pockets 8 formed in the lower half of said slots by the bottoms thereof and the portions of the lapped end'flaps 5 and 5a located between the vertically oifset bottom edges of the cooperating slots 1 and 1a. As shown in thedrawings, the locking tabs are scored transversely. as at 9, so that they may be readily bent and directed through and around the lower edges of the hand holes 6, 6a and tucked into the pockets 8.

'I'he slip cover B comprises a top panel ill with depending side and end wallsv or ilanges Il and I2, respectively. The top panel Il of the cover B -seats on the upper edges of the side and end walls of the body A: and the side and end walls, of said cover terminate below the level o! the f registering hand holes 8, Gain said end walls of said body and terminate short of theupper edges of the registering slots 1, 1a in said last mentionedend walls. The end walls I2 of the cover B have hand holes Il cut therein `that register with the registering hand holes 0, 8a in the overlapped end naps 5, ia pf the body; and locking tabs i4 depend from the upper edges of the cover hand holes I3 and have ilnger notches l5 in their lower edges.

After the body A is packed with fruit, the cover B is slipped over said body and the locking tabs I4 in the cover hand holes I3 are bent inwardly and upwardly by the fingers through the registering hand holes Mia in the end walls of said body and into engagement with the depending flaps 6b of the hand holes la in the innermost end wall flaps 5a, after which the cover tabs Il are bent by the fingers around the upper edges of the hand holes 8 in the outermost end wall flaps 5 and pushed upwardly between said inner and outermost end wall flaps. During this operation of locking the cover to the body A the hand hole flaps 6b act as guides to lead or direct the cover locking tabs Il between the overlapped end wall flaps 5 and 5a of said body; this operation of tucking said cover locking tabs between said overlapped end wall panels being further facilitated by pre-scoring said locking tabs transversely along the lines It. When it is desired to open the carton for impection or removal oi' the contents thereof, the fingers are inserted in the registering hand holes I3, 8 and Ga at each end of the carton and one linger is slid upwardly along the hand hole flap 8b, inserted between the inner end wall flap 5a and the locking ilap i4' and hooked into the iinger notch I5 of said locking ilap, after which said locking ilap is drawn downwardly and outwardly through said hand holes, thereby permitting the cover B to be removed from the body A.

The body,and cover may be shipped in knockdown form and readily erected for service. The

` registering slots 1, 1a in the two-ply end walls of the body are concealed by the tapering end flaps 2 thereof and the overlapped end wall iiaps 5, 5a are securely held together by the locking tabs 3, which are bent around the lower edges of the registering hand holes B, 6a and are tucked in the pockets 8. The contents of the carton serves to press the locking tabs 3 natwise against the' inner faces of the innermost end wall flaps 5a, hold the hand hold ilaps 6b in closed position, and clamp the tucked-in portions of the cover locking flaps between the` overlapped end wall flaps 5 and 5a. Besides acting as guides to lead or direct the locking tabs 3 and Il into locking position and as blinds for the hand holes, the hand hole flaps 6b also serve to protect the contents of the carton from injury by the fingernails during the operation of locking and unlocking the cover locking tabs Il and when the hand holes are used in handling the carton.

Obviously, the hereinbefore described carton construction admits of considerable modification without departing from the invention. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown and described.

Reference -is hereby made to our copending application Serial No. 499,624 filed August 23, 1943 for subject matter divided out of our present opplication.

What we claim is:

1. A carton comprising a body having side walls with end flaps that are overlapped to form two-ply end walls,said end walls having vertically spaced openings extending therethrough, said body having a bottompanel with end flaps that extend upwardly alongside the outside faces of said end walls, thence inwardly through the uppermost openings, and thence downwardly alongside the inside faces of said end walls and into said lowermost openings.

2. A carton comprising a body having side panels with naps that are overlapped to form twoply end walls, saidoverlapped side panel flaps having registering hand holes therethrough and registering openings below said hand holes, said body having a bottom panel with flaps that 'extend upwardly alongside of said overlapped side panel flaps and terminate in locking tabs that extend through said registering hand holes and are bent downwardly and tucked in -said regiatering openings, the hand holes in the innermost side panel flaps having flaps depending from the top edges thereof that normally substantially close said hand holes. V

3. A carton comprising a body having side panels withv end ilaps that are overlapped to form two-ply end walls, said overlapped end flaps having registering hand holes and registering slots below said hand holes. said body having a bottom panel with locking flaps that extend upwardly alongside of the outermost end flaps and terminate in tabs that extend through said registering hand holes and are bent downwardly alongside of the innermost end flaps and tucked in said registering slots.

4. A carton comprising a body having side panels with flaps that are-overlapped to form two-ply end walls. said overlapped flaps having registering hand holes and registering openings below said hand holes, said body having a bottom panel with ilaps that extend upwardly alongside of the outermost side panel flaps over the openings therein and terminate in locking tabs that extend through said registering hand holes and are bent downwardly over the lower edge thereof alongside of the innermost side panel aps and` tucked in said registering openings, the openings in said innermost side panel ilaps having their lower edges disposed above the level of the openings in said outermost side panel aps, thereby forming upwardly opening pockets for the ends of said locking tabs between the bottom panel nap and said innermost side panel naps.

5. A carton comprising a body having side panels with flaps that,are overlapped to form two-ply end walls, said overlapped flaps having registering hand holes therethrough and registering openings below said hand holes, the openings in the outermost side panel ilaps having their ,lower edges disposed below the level of the openings in the innermost side panel naps, said body having a bottom panel with flaps that extend upwardly alongside of said overlapped side panel aps and terminate in locking'tabs that-extend through said hand holes and are bent downwardly inside said body and thence through the openings in the innermost side panel flaps into the portions of the outermost side panel flap openings located below the level of the innermost side panel openings.

6. A carton comprising a body having side panels with flaps that are overlapped to-form two-ply end walls, said overlapped naps having registering hand holes therethrough and registering slots below said hand holes, the openings tucked lin said registering openings, through the slots in the innermostside panel flaps into the lower portions of the slots in the innermost side panel flaps, the hand holes in said innermost side panel flaps having aps depending from the upper edges thereof and normally substantially closing said hand holes.

7. A carton comprising a body and a cover therefor, said body having side wallswith flaps 'that are overlapped to form two-ply end walls,

said end walls having vertically spaced openings extending therethrough, said body having a -bottom panel with flaps that extend upwardly alongside the outside faces of said end walls. thence inwardly through the uppermost openings and thence downwardly alongside the inside faces of said end walls and into said lowermost openings. said cover having aps that extend through said uppermost openings in the outermost side panel flaps and thence between said overlapped side panel naps.

8. A carton comprising a body and a cover therefor, said body having side panels with aps that are overlapped. to form two-ply end walls, said overlapped side panel flaps having registering hand holes therethrough and registering openings below said h'and holes, said body having a bottom panel'with flaps that extend upwardly outside said overlapped side panel ilaps and terminate in locking tabs that extend .through said registering hand holes and are bent downward. ly and tucked in said registering openings, the

hand holes in the innermost side panel ilaps having flaps-depending from the top edges thereof that normally substantially close said hand holes, said cover having locking iiaps'depending therefrom that extend through the hand holes in the outermost side panel flaps and thence upwardly between said overlapped side panel flaps.

9. A carton comprising a body and a cover therefor,said Abody having side panels with flaps that are overlapped to form two-ply end walls, said overlapped side panel naps having registering hand. holes therethrough and registeringV slots below said vhand holes, the bottoms of the ,slots in the outermost side panel flaps being located below the level of the bottoms of the slots in the innermost sidepanel flaps, said body hav- 'ing a bottom panel with ilaps that are bent upwardly outside of said overlapped side panel iiaps and cover said slots. thence inwardly through said registering hand holes, thence downwardly inside-said body and thence through' the slots in said innermost side panel aps into' the lower portions of the slots in said outermost side panel tlaps, the hand holes in said innermost' side ,panel y 3 thence upwardly between said overlapped side panel flaps.

10.A carton comprising a body and a cover I therefor, said body having side panelsl with flaps holes, said cover having depending end anges with hand holes therein that register with the registering hand holes in said overlappedside panel ilaps, said cover having `locking flaps de- Y pending from the upper edges o-the'hand holes therein that are bent around the upper edges of the hand holes in the outermost side panel iiaps and thence upwardly between said overlapped side -panel flaps, the hand holes in the innermost'side panel flaps ,having aps depending A from the upper edges thereof that normally substantially close said hand holes and function as guides to give direction to said locking flaps during the bending the'reof, said cover locking iiaps having linger notches in the ends thereof adapted to facilitate withdrawal of said cover locking flaps from between said overlapped side panel flaps.

11. A carton comprising a body having two.

naps that are overlapped to form a wall there- 4 oi' with a hand hole therethrough and an openflaps having naps depending from the top edges thereof that normally substantially close said hand holes. said cover having locking aps depending therefrom that extend through the hand holes in said outermostside panel flaps 'and tially closing the' same.

ing spaced from said hand hole, said body having a third flap disposed alongside the outer face of said wall ,over the opening therethrough, said third ilap' having a locking tab that is bent through lsaid hand hole, thence alongside ,the inside face of said wall -and thence into said opening. 3

12. A carton .comprising a body having two iiaps that are overlapped -to form a wall thereof with a hand hole therethrough and an opening f -below said hand hole, said body having a third flap that is disposed alongside the outer face of said wall and covers the opening therethrough,

said third flap having a prescored locking tab thatextends through said hand hole and is bent downwardly over the lower edge thereof along the inside face of said wall and tucked in said opening, the innermost of the two rst mentioned ilaps having a flapD depending from the upper edge of said hand hole BENJAmN l M.' WILLIAMS FRED L. RUSHING.

and normally substan- 

